As I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question. I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take. In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the realization that a key aspect for social media is service related. I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service? Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service? If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field. I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way. Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need? I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service. Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.” I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!). As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ” But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known. Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age. We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins. Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process. The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process. Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service? Everything. In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker. Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call. Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on. There was a time when this was not as true. We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer. As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer. I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel. The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it. They did what they needed to do. In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted. Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals? No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers. Novel idea!I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question. I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take. In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the realization that a key aspect for social media is service related. I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service? Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service? If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field. I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way. Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need? I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service. Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.” I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!). As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ” But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known. Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age. We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins. Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process. The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process. Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service? Everything. In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker. Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call. Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on. There was a time when this was not as true. We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer. As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer. I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel. The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it. They did what they needed to do. In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted. Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals? No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers. Novel ideaAs I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question. I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take. In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the realization that a key aspect for social media is service related. I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service? Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service? If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field. I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way. Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need? I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service. Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.” I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!). As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. ” But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known. Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age. We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins. Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process. The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process. Today we may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service? Everything. In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker. Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call. Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on. There was a time when this was not as true. We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer. As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer. I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel. The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it. They did what they needed to do. In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted. Of course many time it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is it a shift in fundamentals? No, but it is a return to a more simpler time when Customer Service was really about helping Customers. Novel idea!
As I am sitting here preparing for my keynote at the Call Center Summit in Orlando I keep thinking about this question. I have seen a fascination with social media uses by companies, and a quest for the best possible direction for them to take. In the past year I have seen more and more companies come to the realization that a key aspect for social media is service related. I applaud them for coming to this realization, but I have to wonder why it has taken so long.
So is social media a fundamental shift in the way your organization handles Customer Service? Is it a shift in your own mind regarding Customer Service? If it is, I hope you are not in the Customer Service field. I am sitting here wondering why companies and individuals feel this way. Isn’t the most basic building block of Customer Service helping those in need? I think we have forgotten this most basic tenet of Customer Service. Today I will be asking the audience why they like this field and how they are leading the organization from a Customer Service perspective.
Yesterday I picked up Seth Godin’s new book “Linchpin: Are you Indispensable.” I was shocked to see the kind mention I received (Thank you Seth!). As I started to read it I thought “oh no, now we are going to have chaos as people strive to become artists. “ But as I read on I started to see what Seth has always known. Today’s work environment is still the same as it was during the industrial age. We are cogs in this wheel of life, and there are very few that break through this mold to become Linchpins. Since you have not read it yet (and I recommend you do), you can think of the leadership as the industrialist and the rest as factory workers doing a process. The Linchpin is the factory worker who steps in and redefines the organization, product or process. Today we some may view the Linchpin as a trouble maker or someone stirring the pot, but as Seth points out they are more the visionary or artist drawing and shaping the future.
What does Linchpin have to do with Customer Service? Everything. In many organizations Customer Service is the true representation of the factory worker. Every answer scripted, step by step process during every call. Rigid structure with talk time, handle time, schedule adherence, script adherence, and the list goes on and on and on. There was a time when this was not as true. We did not make the job a process but an opportunity for this factory worker to build a relationship, take ownership and in shocking news, help the Customer. As we built Customer Service into this machine, we further distanced the bourgeoisie, I mean company leadership, from the Customer. I think the trouble is for too long people in this field have been the cogs in the wheel. The challenge to this is the cogs did not let the industrialist know what was broken or how to fix it. They did what they needed to do. In some cases the industrialist did not even care it was broken, at least until the bottom line was impacted. Of course many times it was too late at that point.
So back to the question, is social media a fundamental shift for Customer Service? If your answer is yes, than that is a sign that you need to relook at your service organization’s goals. Customer service number one focus must be helping the Customer first and foremost. Novel idea!
If you have the chance join us on Thursday, January 28 for the Social Media Today webinar “The Future of Customer Service is Here“
Frank, I find that most companies just transfer their current customer service practices right to social media, good or bad. It is incredible when they are doing it amazingly well off web and that shows up on twitter and the rest of social media space.
I had just finished my review of Linchpin yesterday so I had them on my mind as I went to breakfast at the Barking Frog restaurant at @willowslodge in Seattle. What caught me off guard was the linchpin who served us our meal. She was superb, genuine and made us feel like the most important people in the place. Willows has all the passports filled on social media but they are still stuck in tranfer stage. My hope is they do it with the same service they show in person.
BTW that was a great mention Seth made of you in the book. Too cool.
@johnflurry
Frank, great post.
I think the big difference between social media customer service and traditional customer service is that social media support occurs in public, whereas a phone call essentially occurs in private.
When a company provides service via twitter or facebook they are very aware that others will see what they are doing. It becomes googleable.
Because this is public, companies are motivated to put their best foot forward. I think this is a good thing.
My hope is that other companies will experience what you’ve experienced. That they’ll discover that providing great customer service is actually good for the bottom line.
Great point Jon. Our waitress was seen and heard by the few tables around us and we bragged about her to the front desk. The news might travel beyond a few conversations but it eventually stops there. Now her actions can travel who knows how far. Another jump that is being made is a that a companies involvement is almost involuntary. Customers can now create yelp sites if a business has not for themselves. They participate whether they like it or not and their actions become transparent to the world.
Another great post. My question is how do you get the company to recognise and acknowledge the value the linchpin offers? How do you identify the ‘essence’ of the linchpin, the ‘one’ thing that makes them what they are, and somehow extract it and then apply it to the current practices within a company? Or is it that the linchpin is simply a one off? An attitude, an approach, an outlook, that is innate, inherent, individual and ultimately not able to be replicated.
Your post seems very sensible. I look forward to hearing another one.
Social Media in its current forms (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) are continuations of what’s been happening with interactive technology for the last 10 or 15 years in that for the first time, it’s easy for people to talk back to companies.
Really, it’s the Internet itself that was the fundamental shift, and all the different ways the internet connects people and information are just continued fruits of that same tree.
In fact, it’s probably not too far wrong to call the Internet “the social medium.” It’s the thing it does better than anything else and what sets it apart.